Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1) (22 page)

I
t had snowed all night, blanketing the ground and the trees sagged from the weight. It was the most horrific and the most beautiful sight at the same time. How would we make our way down the mountain? Most of the vehicles wouldn’t budge in drifts this deep. The pure untouched fluff glittered under the sun, snow caught on spider-webs and icicles lined the roof of the house. The white washed away the grays and blacks of this new world and wiped it clean.

Warmth touched my back when Jax stepped up close. Maybe we could have a good day. A good day, forgetting the horrors and the fears, and grief for our families and just pretend. Christmas Day, and we’d woken up in a magical wonderland.

Voice low to keep from waking the others, I told him my plan. His response was to swing me up into his arms, carry me down the steps, and throw me into the snow. I tripped him with my feet, laughing when he landed beside me. I grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed it in his face, his skin turning red from the cold and suppressed laughter.

Not taking my torture for long, he flipped over and pinned me deep in the snow, his thighs holding my hips still and his hands holding mine in the snow.

When he released my hands to run his own down my sides, I pounced on the opportunity, rubbing my hands down his back and into the snow, I grabbed some and shoved it down the collar of his shirt. He howled and jumped off me, dancing and ripping at his shirt, trying to get the snow out. I was laughing so hard, I didn’t notice right away what he was doing until the snowball hit me right in the face, shooting into my open mouth. I spluttered and frowned at his smirk as I struggled to my feet. I guess he took pity on me because he moved forward to give me a hand. I took it and yanked him down beside me. Fluffy snow floated into the air, landing around and on us.

Olivia and Adele raced out to us and then jumped in the snow and joined the fight. Jax scooped up Adele and ran off with her behind a group of trees, pelting Liv and I with snowballs.

We spent the rest of the morning battling with snow balls and building forts. When we finally collapsed inside, my ribs and cheeks ached from laughter.

It was the best day.

Jax covered us in a blanket, and started coffee. I smiled, watching him drip melting snow across the floors, white speckling the dark hair tumbling to his shoulders. He was beautiful and I was in trouble.

After cleaning up and drying off, we piled up in one of the beds, Liv and Jax forcing me to watch the Stooges. I didn’t want to know where they’d found the DVD.

The movie still wasn’t funny.

But lying there, cuddled with my favorite people, I didn’t care. I was willing to watch anything.

T
he holiday celebration was about a mile away from our cabin, set up in a clearing. Candles and small fires speckled the field to light it up and keep us warm. It was a winter wonderland as the snow sparkled and glowed, as the fires crackled. A table in the middle of it all was covered with food and ornaments. Someone had found a couple strands of lights and wrapped them around one of the smaller pine trees, and made it quite festive, putting everyone in the mood for the holiday. There was a menorah as well, flickering flames rose from the nine candles. Music played softly in the background, a play-list mixed with holiday songs of all cultures. The food wasn’t anything special with so few options on the mountain other than canned goods.

But there was plenty of booze, and if we were old enough to fight, Summer declared we were old enough to have a drink or two. Probably because she wasn’t twenty-one either.

I hid myself at the edge of everything, overwhelmed by the amount of people mingling and chatting and eating.

Liv and Jax blended in with everyone else. Adele scampered off to play with the other children. I smiled as I watched the fun and relaxation everyone indulged in.

Summer was a brilliant leader. She understood constant missions and stress and violence would burn out her soldiers. A lesson I took to heart. It’s what I’d done to us, always training, always researching, always fighting, the only stress relief were exercises and the occasional dance. And poor Liv had no such release, her cello long gone, left behind in the city.

Once we got to Texas, I would find her another one.

A girl my age with insanely bright sapphire eyes wandered over to me as I sipped at the purple drink I’d snagged from a tray. She smiled and leaned up against the tree beside me. Her pale skin shimmered like she wore body glitter, but not quite. I was pretty certain she was a monster, but didn’t want to ask.

Her outfit was strange. A short blue skirt the same color as her eyes, purple leggings, and a yellow shirt with black cats scattered across it. It was like she thought she was Luna Lovegood. I wanted to ask her why she wasn’t wearing radish earrings.

Dark brown hair tumbled down her back as she stared out at the party. “I’m Aria.”

“Monet.”

“You don’t like the party?” she asked.

I shrugged, biting back a sigh. “I’m not great in crowds.”

“Neither am I.”

I smiled.

“You can ask if you want.”

I raised a brow. “Ask what?”

Aria closed her eyes and smiled, head tipped back against the tree. “What I am. I can tell you’re uncomfortable. I assume it’s because you can tell I’m not human.”

“Okay then. What are you?”

“Dragon shifter.”

I tried to hide the stiffening of my limbs, but was unsuccessful.

She spoke without opening her eyes. “It’s okay. I get it. I know about the attack in Savannah. And I know the reputation we have. Most of the humans and even a lot of the other shifters don’t trust me.”

“Why?” My brows furrowed.

Her eyes slid open to slits. “Because I’m one of the few dragons involved on this side. Most believe I’m a spy for the other side.”

“Are you?” I didn’t know what to think of this wackadoo.

“No. I was always strange compared to my family and clan. I was kicked out for befriending a human just before they took over. I adored music and books and was always wandering off alone. I wanted to be in musical theater We’re a race who craves companionship, but I craved solitude.”

Her words rang with truth and I couldn’t imagine growing up like her. “I’m so sorry.”

“My brother is one of the leaders in Austin. I think it’s mainly why Summer let me stay.”

“You don’t think she believes you?”

She shifted and looked at me full on, dazzling me with sparkling jewels. “I think she does, but I’m also a valuable tool for her against him.”

“Are you okay with that?”

She shrugged. “He must be stopped, but I hope to change his mind instead of outright killing him. We were close once.”

“I hope you can.” I was surprised to realize I meant it.

Liv skipped over to us and drew me away, forcing me to eat. I waved at Aria over my shoulder, and after waving back, she swayed to the music, smiling dreamily at the stars.

She may crave solitude, but no one wanted to be alone all the time. Everyone, human or monster, needed someone to love them, to love in return.

I finished my plate of food right as Summer tapped on my shoulder. “It’s time.”

Nerves sent me into a cold sweat, but I followed her. Aria was at the makeshift stage as well. “I told you I wanted to be in musicals.”

I chuckled. “Am I opening for you or are you opening for me?”

“I think you’re opening. I guess I’m the main event.”

I cocked a brow. “Good luck following my performance.”

Her tinkling laughter was as delicate as snowflakes, husky as a smoky club. It was enthralling, and I leaned towards her, wanting to touch her shimmering skin, to lose myself in the pools of blue she called eyes.

She bit her lip. “Sorry. I forget sometimes I can do that.”

I blinked away the fog. “I didn’t know dragons had that power.”

“Yes, it’s something I’ve been teaching the others here to resist.”

“I’m gonna want to take that class.”

“I thought you might.”

I slipped off my boots and jacket and hopped onto the stage. I’d put on the hideous pink dress, enjoying the way it floated down my body even though the color was gross. Candles and twinkly lights lit the stage up and created a sort of fairy land and made the snow glow. I hadn’t performed for a real audience in such a long time, but as I warmed up everything fell away until the only thing left was the music always playing in the back of my mind, until I was nothing but the dance.

No nervousness flapped within me and I didn’t notice whether anyone from the party came outside to watch or not. It didn’t matter. Only the music mattered, the dance, the movements of my body, the sway of my hips, the feelings and wishes I wanted to express. Every trace of grief, pain, despair was released up to the glittering sky. Every trace of love, faith, hope shined through with each arch of my arms, with each spin, with each leap, with each bend.

As the music faded away and my body stilled with my head bowed and chest rising and falling, applause shattered the silent night. I raised my chin and stared in awe at the eyes glistening with tears and gratitude and expectation, Liv and Jax in the center, pride on their faces.

I curtsied and hurried from the stage, Aria stepping up to take my place while I took up the spot between Liv and Jax, avoiding the heat in his eyes.

The candles went out as Aria passed, plunging her into shadows and smoke. Her voice rose around us, clear and lilting as she sang the song from Wizard of Oz. Blue skies and rainbows and bluebirds and melting lemon drops appeared with the force of her song. It made us believe in dreams and wishes coming true. It made us believe we could fly high.

With the hypnotic spell from her voice, words lit up in the air. Freedom. Revolution. Love. Peace. Hope.

B
efore the magic from Aria’s song faded away, Summer and a black man with bright red hair took the stage. His skin shimmered a little like Aria’s, but I didn’t think he was a dragon. He was something else. Gargoyle maybe? He wore jeans and a faded white button up, and he’d found a tie somewhere. The music changed to the wedding march before it melted into something better, a haunting remix. The crowd parted to reveal the other groom, a human dressed in clothes I recognized. I’d know those purple pinstriped pants and black shirt anywhere. Jax must have let him borrow them.

When the two men’s eyes met, it was like everything fell away, even for those of us watching. The music swelled and slowed, casting a wider spell across us. The guys stared at each other, not moving, love bridging between the two of them, their eyes drinking in the other. The one on the stage couldn’t wait. He leapt to the ground and stalked through the crowd, grabbing the other by the lapels and jerking their mouths together.

A huge grin spread wide across my face and my chest tightened as tears pooled in my eyes. Gasps of delight and swooning sighs joined the song as the two continued to kiss. As it went on longer, laughter and wolf whistles came from the crowd.

They finally broke apart, the heat between them almost searing me. With their hands twined together, they walked up to the stage where Summer waited, her face wreathed in smiles.

My head buzzed and tried to float away. I wanted to blame it on the glass of booze, but it was Jackson’s hand brushing against mine. It was his woods and sunshine aroma swirling around me. It was watching a human and a monster declare their love for one another and make vows even in the middle of war.

It was beautiful and brave and it made me ache.

A sob clogged my throat and I couldn’t watch anymore.

I slipped back through the crowd, away from the lights and music, letting the darkness and trees swallow me. Once the sights and sounds from the clearing faded away, I stopped and leaned against a tree, gasping past my still tight throat.

Footsteps followed me and I knew who it was. My body made it clear with a rush of heat and tension.

“Monet? Are you all right?”

I turned, taking him in bathed with moonlight, drops of starlight shimmering in his hair. So beautiful it hurt to look at him. His brows furrowed as he inspected me, confusion and worry shadowing his eyes.

“Talk to me. Or I can get Olivia if you’d prefer.”

I shook my head and swallowed, searching for the right words. I surrendered, tired of battling myself when this was what I wanted. I wanted his lips on mine and his arms wrapped around me. I wanted him by my side as we fought to fix our world.

I was done being a smug, angry idiot.

“I think I’m falling in love with you. And it’s horrible and terrifying and exhilarating and confusing. But I don’t want to fight it anymore.”

His eyes slid closed and his entire body slumped with a loud sigh and a shudder. I bit my lip and hugged myself, waiting for his response. Was I too late?

He opened his eyes and stalked towards me, just like the groom had, never taking his gaze off mine. He stopped right before me, close enough to touch, a mere whisper between us.

“I’ve been in love with you since I saw you ride a Jersey Devil like a cowgirl.”

My heart finally restarted, racing as he cupped my face in his hands and brought his lips down to mine. I drowned in him. My chest swelled as I became fire and ice. As I flew up into the stars and began to spin, spin, spin. He was music I wanted to dance to forever. He was the anchor keeping me from floating away and breaking into a million stars.

I poured everything into him with each brush of hands against skin, with each kiss, with each breathy moan. The stubble on his face scraped lightly against my skin, making me shiver. I clutched the back of his neck to keep from falling. His fingers found their way into the sides of my jacket, rubbing against the thin fabric of the dress down my sides. His body was hard against mine and I arched into it, wanting to be closer, wanting more.

Wanting everything.

My jacket slipped from my shoulders and pooled around my feet, the bark of the tree digging into my back. Jax kissed lines of fire down the side of my face and neck before claiming my lips again.

His jacket joined mine on the ground. I needed to touch skin, I needed to feel him.

The cold didn’t touch us, the heat between us kept us warm. Snow fell, it swirled and pranced through the air, melting on our exposed, heated skin. Fog clouded my mind from the assault of sensations.

We stayed lost in each other under the snow and bright stars for a perfect slice of eternity.